FIRST RTS-II COACH ARRIVED IN DETROIT 30-YEARS AGO

[RTD8481]

Lazy management!

[qwandiddy]

I wish they still make them TODAY!!! 

[qwandiddy]

$96,000 Each??? DAMN These GMC RTS should've been still on Active to this day.

[BassmanII]

@Crowflug That was the 700 series RGRTA buses.

[gmcbuses]

At 4:07 of that video that bus driver was smoking. A source of probably customer complaints. Only 30% of those new buses should of been RTS models. Rest should of been GMC new look buses that should of been purchased in 1977 while GMC was still making them in the US, as they are more sturdier, With rebuilds can run up to 28 years old. It was probably GMC old look buses they replaced. Detroit was a city that suffered heavy during the exodus out of US nortthern citys in the late 60s, 70s.

[gmcbuses]

@gmcbuses The NFTA in Buffalo, along with New York City MTA, Detroits system from 1978, and up, when ever new buses wher bought 30% should of been RTS buses, other 70% should of been GMC New look buses made in Canada as they are the buses that are the most sturdiest. In 1978 buses made by Flexible wher bought for New York City"s MTA system. Very good buses. Why I"m saying this is in 1992 RTs buses purchased in Buffalo in 1982 wher starting to fall apart. They wher in service 13 years.

[hbc2nddetroit]

FYI: The various RTS series went from the "Series 01" to the "Series 08." The first RTSs to roll off the production line beginning in the fall of 1977 were the RTS-II "Series 01." Anytime there were major design changes a new "series" was launched. The DDOT buses featured in this video were RTS-II "Series 03." For some reason there were no "Series 02" ever produced. The longest series to remain in production was the "Series 06," launched in 1986 and built by GMC, TMC and NovaBUS through 2002.

[BassmanII]

@hbc2nddetroit Just a note here, the very first order of RTS-03 buses went to none other than NFTA Metro-Buffalo, New York. The serial numbers of the NFTA RTS buses were 001-065 (fleet numbers 5001-5065)

[hbc2nddetroit]

Thanks for the info. But according to GMC production list records posted online by Ohio Museum of Transp. (OMOT), the book RTS Buses by Evan T. McCausland, and Apr-May 1978 local newspaper clippings in my possession, the Detroit fleet (the first "102-inch wide" mass-produced RTSs) were delivered in May of 1978. The Buffalo, NY (NFTA) fleet (the very first 40-foot long "96-inch wide" RTSs) were delivered beginning in Nov. of 1978, six months later.

[BassmanII]

Ahh yes. Thanks.

[busrailfan]

Notice someone sitting in the Operators seat of the RTS Bus holding a smoke? at about 4:07 ? Did they still allow Bus Operators and anyone else to smoke on the buses back then?!?

[angrydrunkguyy]

I thought these were RTS I buses, not RTS 02.

they have a slant in the rear. RTS 02 is a Square Back. . . . .

[hbc2nddetroit]

"All" of the RTS coaches built by General Motors for mass production were RTS-IIs. The "two" goes back to when the bus was in its experimental stages and some of the prototypes had "three" axles. These were known as the RTS-3. The one that went into mass production had "two" axles, hence the "RTS-II" The "two" remained until it was removed sometime after TMC took over RTS production in 1988. However, there were various "series" of the RTS during its 30 years of production.

[hbc2nddetroit]

The so-called "square-back" design became standard with the "Series 04" model. The "series 04" RTSs began production in May of 1981. This add-on housed a/c components intended to improve problems the a/c units encountered in the series 01 and series 03 models, that originally had the slant-back design.

[jamin108]

Why is the dot sucky

[hbc2nddetroit]

Well, if you really want to know check out my other vids in the "DDOT Service Issues" series, more of which will be posted sometime in the future.

[burbank]

They did. However, the air conditioning temperatues wer einsufficient and it was not blowing enough air, so they had to reofrat it completely. The original A?C for those buses came from a back vent and then they had to be modified.

[burbank]

Well back in 1977 1978 GM thought it would be a new sleak design that would represent a modern era. However, it was discovered that the slanted design would pose problems to the A/C units. So they had to be refitted for a straight design. Any RTS models after 1979 had a flat back. I liked the slant thought it was cool at that time.

[baul104]

They're actually called "slope-backed" RTSs because I believe it was their first model and they're called RTS-I.

[burbank]

It is funny that in Springfield, the later version of the RTS buses were replaced with the Gillig Low floor buses. At one time all transit authorities had GM and Flixible buses that had similar design models. MBTA has low floor buses now but not sure what manufacturer they are. I miss the RTS II buses.

[burbank]

I ride the MBTA here in Boston and at times I ride the PVTA in Springfield. PVTA used the RTS II buses through the mid 1990s. They were cool buses.

[burbank]

I think that Conrad Mallett was a good speaker and handled the concerns well. Is he still alive today?

[hbc2nddetroit]

The last I heard he (Conrad Mallett, Sr.) was still alive and in his early 80's. He served as DDOT director under Mayor Coleman A. Young from about 1977 until 1983. His son, Conrad Mallett, Jr., a former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (retired), is the one who's now in the political spotlight.

[burbank]

Thank you for the reply here. Mr. Mallett, Sr. seemed to be a smarrt speaker and a capable administrator. Did service conditions improve under his tenure as D Dot Director?

[hbc2nddetroit]

Actually the service worsened. During the late '70s and through the 1980's the City of Detroit and its suburbs bickered over plans to build a regional subway or light rail system, neither of which were ever built. In the mean time, compounded by numerous other problems, the bus service was neglected and continued to deteriorate. The system wouldn't recover to "somewhat" respectable levels until the mid-to-late-'90s.

[burbank]

Well I guess Detroit has suffered immensely due to the massive auto manufacturing job losses. It seems Mr. Mallet was trying to improve service and was a capable administrator.

[burbank]

This is a great video. I really miss the originally slanted RTS II buses. I rode those in here in Massachusetts as a kid. Has bus service improved in Detroit since?

[qwandiddy]

After 30 years. they are still making RTSes by Millenium. Check out Pubelo Colorado for their 2006 models.

[jkeating12345]

whats the link?

[madman3]

and bus service in Detroit STILL sucks!

[dazmon11]

Hmmmm, I wonder if the engines were 6V-92 or 8V-71.

[hbc2nddetroit]

All of the GMC built DDOT RTS-IIs were Detroit Diesel 8V-71s, except for the seventeen 35-footers (#1701L-1717L), which were delivered in November of 1979. These were 6V-71s.

[jkeating12345]

Jesus These are still on the road

[baul104]

Unfortunately, no. There are no more GMC RTS fleet at any terminal. They were all retired since 1997 or 1998. The slope-backed GMC RTSs were retired in 1991. The only RTS models that you see on the streets of Detroit are NovaBus RTSs.

[jkeating12345]

Oh ok good where i live we don't have these i don't know the Differnce! Lol Thanks for the info!

[hbc2nddetroit]

One noticeable difference was that "sloping-back" roofline. Because of A/C overheating issues GM redesigned the RTS, adding a square rear cap unit to house improved A/C components—resulting in a square-back appearance, standard since 1980. GM offered a A/C retrofit kit for RTSs built prior to the redesign, also giving those buses that square-back look.

In 1981, all DDOT RTSs purchased from 1978-80 were sent back to GMC Truck & Coach in Pontiac and retrofited with these A/C  housing kits.

[jkeating12345]

Thank You For the Info!

-Jordan

[keepthapinit]

And the New Flyers too

[Matteo42]

damn, and how rare are those slant-back buses today?

[qwandiddy]

Baul104, This is awesome! I love this old video, Man I am crying, I miss these good ol GMC RTSes.

[hbc2nddetroit]

Yeah, but unfortunately, those original GMC RTS coaches weren't without their problems. Numerous mechanical and design flaws involving brakes, oil leaks, door malfunctions and air conditioning failures eventually resulted in the #1300-series fleet being recalled by GM. Even those original large-size "elephant-ear" mirrors seen in the video were a pain for the drivers. Some years later, after continuous cooling and suspension issues, DDOT management vowed not to purchase any more fleets of RTSs.

[baul104]

Dang, I miss seeing the good ol' GMC RTSs. I've rode one when I was in elementary school back in the early 90s... D-dot could at least kept one GMC RTS so it could be used for historical trips or sometimes shuttle services instead of being used for regular services.

And also, one thing the original GMC RTS has that NovaBus RTS hasn't got is the kneeling capability for seniors and other people who are having trouble with the steps.